Elect NC Judges: A Public Service of the NCBA

The 2018 North Carolina Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) was conducted by the JPE Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association and funded by the North Carolina Bar Foundation. The 2018 JPE evaluated Superior and District Court judicial candidates in addition to sitting Special Superior Court judges. A total of 3,450 North Carolina attorneys completed the 2018 JPE, in which they assessed the legal ability, integrity, and professionalism of judges and judicial candidates about whom they had sufficient professional contact. The opinions expressed reflect those attorneys who chose to respond and do not reflect the opinion of the North Carolina Bar Association or the opinion of all North Carolina attorneys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the JPE?

This judicial performance evaluation (JPE) survey invites North Carolina attorneys to assess all District and Superior Court judicial candidates and Special Superior Court judges in the state. The survey is conducted by the JPE Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association and funded by the North Carolina Bar Foundation. More than 30 states have judicial performance evaluation (JPE) programs.

Why should I participate?

The JPE provides anonymous performance feedback to sitting judges and valuable information to voters for the upcoming judicial elections. These evaluations provide each judge, the judiciary as whole, and the voting public crucial information for promoting confidence in the judiciary. Your response, which will be aggregated with those of your peers, is critical to the success of the JPE.

How long does the survey take?

Evaluation of a judge or judicial candidate typically takes only a minute or two. Most attorneys complete the survey in less than 15 minutes. You may return to the survey at another time if you do not complete it in one sitting.

Where can I complete the survey?

You may complete the survey anywhere that has access to the internet, including your mobile device.

How can I be sure of confidentiality and security?

This survey is conducted using Qualtrics survey software. Qualtrics software has the highest standards of data security and protection—the information sent to the website is encrypted, in the same way that banks and eCommerce websites do. Qualtrics holds ISO 27001 certification and meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the FISMA Act of 2002 and FIPS Publication 200. For a copy of the white paper that details the privacy, compliance, and operational policies and procedures please email jpe@ncbar.org.

The survey software prevents individuals from taking the survey multiple times or sharing with others, keeps track of which attorneys have and have not responded, and sends reminder notices. Individual survey responses are assigned a randomly generated code by the software—email addresses do not appear with the survey responses. To provide an additional level of data protection, survey responses are being compiled by the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology (DISM). The NCBA will receive only aggregate responses; results will not be reported for any questions receiving fewer than 25 valid responses.

What if I don’t want to answer the survey online?

The online survey helps to reduce the cost and time required to conduct the JPE survey. If you would still prefer a paper questionnaire, please contact us at dism@duke.edu by August 23, 2018.

Who developed the survey?

Since 2008, the JPE program in North Carolina has been conducted by the NCBA’s Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee, with funding support from the North Carolina Bar Foundation. In consultation with Dr. D.S. Hillygus, director of the Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology, the survey was redesigned in 2018 in accordance with the American Bar Association guidelines and to minimize potential bias and to improve the reliability of the survey.

Can I see the results of the JPE evaluation?

The results for judicial candidates will be compiled into a report that will be released the week of October 8, 2018. Since 2012, the North Carolina Bar Association has provided this information as a public service for NC voters. The evaluations are not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any candidate; the NCBA does not endorse candidates for any office.

Who are the members of the NCBA Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee?